Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, center, demonstrates the new credit card machine that will be in service for County residents beginning Dec. 1 alongside Deputy Clerk Walker Worthy, right, and office staff.

Contact: Julie Willmot
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TRENTON, N.J. -The Mercer County Clerk's office will begin accepting credit cards on Dec. 1, making transactions for those visiting the office more convenient than ever before.

Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello sought to include credit card payments at her office after being elected in 2005. Sollami Covello recently partnered with Commerce Bank to acquire two credit card machines that accept Visa and Mastercard, giving customers more choices in addition to the traditional payment of cash, check or money order.

"Paying for a passport application or a business registration is now as easy as a swipe of a credit card," Sollami Covello said. "When I took office, I promised to bring the clerk's office into the 21st century with updated technology and ways to make transactions easier and quicker. These credit card machines are a big part of those initiatives."

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes also pledged to bring openness and convenience to County government when he was elected, and commended the County Clerk for adding more options for residents doing business with Mercer.

"Mercer County continues to make strides toward openness and accessibility with initiatives like this one," Hughes said. "I encourage anyone utilizing the County Clerk's office to take advantage of this new option."

In the past, some visitors to the clerk's office had complained because they were without the personal checks or cash needed to complete a transaction, Sollami Covello said. Moreover, personal checks were not accepted for business registrations.

"But those days are over. Beginning in December, all transactions can be paid for with Visa or Mastercard," Sollami Covello said.

Employees at the clerk's office have already undergone training for operating the credit card machines. The same machines will also be placed at the Mercer County Store-a one-stop center for County information and resources, including services of the Clerk's Office-once it opens early next year.